Twin Beauties of the Southern Dynasties
A Qiu thought to himself, if Xue Hongbi were to directly confront the Princess, he would give her ammunition for his rudeness. His wife, Sun, was too honest and rigid; she would likely suffer against such a shrew. As for An Daoling, he certainly wouldn't go personally. No one of slightly higher status would go, lest they be entangled and bogged down, which would damage the dignity of the nation.
An Daoling continued, "Do you know why I recommended you to His Majesty?"
Ah Qiu thought—she should pick the softest persimmons to squeeze, since she was of low status.
An Daoling gazed at A Qiu and smiled, "Because you are the most outstanding dancer of this generation in the Southern Dynasty's Music Bureau, you will not be intimidated by your opponent. Also, because you are currently the only female official in the Music Bureau. Moreover,"
He said meaningfully, "Although it was presented as tribute by the Marquis of Guannei, no one knows whether there are assassins lurking in this dance troupe composed entirely of foreign dancers."
As the saying goes, don't speak of shortness in front of a dwarf. When A Qiu heard the highly respected An Daoling say this, he broke out in a cold sweat, felt extremely guilty, and couldn't bring himself to refuse.
An Daoling patted her shoulder gently and said earnestly, "Go with peace of mind! With your abilities, I am confident that there will be no problem."
As A-Qiu, dressed in the colors of a female official's robes, stepped out of the Xuanfeng Gate of the inner palace, she felt somewhat lost in a fog.
That is to say, they were somewhat elated.
This was the first time she had openly and legitimately entered the outer court from the inner palace during the day.
The last time she passed through here, she was an assassin wanted by the Imperial Guards of the entire palace, traveling at night with her face covered.
The Lanling assassin has his own beliefs, which run counter to the world driven by power. He is clear-headed and unconventional, embodying the spirit of "I will go even if the world opposes me".
But that is also a kind of loneliness.
A loneliness that can only appear in the night and cannot walk in the sun.
All the social classes, decorations, prosperity, and warmth of ordinary people are irrelevant to the Lanling Assassins.
At this moment, A Qiu felt that even a little bit of power had a special kind of warmth.
It was when Tang Li was changing her clothes that the servants and officials of the Music Bureau greeted her with obsequious smiles. Before the master, behind the master, at her beck and call, they were extremely attentive, fearing only that she might be neglected.
It was the stares and admiration that everyone in the palace gave as they traveled there, along with the unconscious expressions of envy and admiration they displayed.
Everyone knows that she was a female official in the Music Bureau personally appointed by the Emperor and Consort Chen, and is the number one dancer of the White Silk Dance and the top person in the dance troupe.
A Qiu deeply understood the meaning of what An Gong meant by "the path to officialdom".
The reason why everyone respected her so much was not because they respected her as a minor official of the sixth rank, but because they respected her bright and promising future.
The act of saving the crown prince happened to a female entertainer, and the only reward she could receive was a promotion from a low-ranking servant to a higher-ranking one. Even Xue Hongbi, who rose from a dancer to become a favored concubine in the Pei household, remained ultimately nothing more than an appendage of her master.
But being removed from the ranks of entertainers, returning to civilian life, and becoming an official was a qualitative change. She not only became her own master, but leaped into becoming a member of the ruling class of the country. The difference was immeasurable.
She rose from dancer to official, becoming the first woman in the Music Bureau. Among the female officials of this dynasty, there was Zhao Lingying in civil affairs, Sikong Zhao in military affairs, and General Fan in external affairs, but none of them started from humble beginnings as slaves.
Ah Qiu's transformation from a fish to a dragon was a tremendous inspiration to the lower-ranking palace servants.
Therefore, this sixth-rank musician would have been completely ignored in the previous dynasty. But as he walked through the inner palace, everyone turned their heads and sighed with admiration.
At this moment, A-Qiu has no idea that in the future she will become a symbol in the hearts of the most numerous people in the palace, representing the lowest rungs of society.
A Qiu was about to pass through the Xuanfeng Gate, which connects the inner palace and the outer court and is located on the central axis of the imperial city.
The Imperial Guards on both sides watched her closely. Recognizing the color of her clothes and the palace token in her hand, they knew she was a female official leaving the palace on official business. After checking her, they were about to let her pass.
A clear, ethereal voice, like celestial music, sounded behind her, softly saying, "Shi Dianle, please wait."
The Imperial Guards on both sides of the city gate instantly sheathed their gleaming swords and spears and bowed in unison.
A Qiu was also startled by the voice. She quickly turned around, not daring to look directly at him, and could only bow slightly, saying, "Miss Shangguan."
The newcomer was none other than Shangguan Yuqi, who was now the leader of the Four Guards of the Eastern Palace, and whose title was "White Feather". She was dressed in white, with a graceful and ethereal figure. On her back was naturally the gentleman's sword "Ice Bamboo" passed down in the Shangguan family.
Thinking that Gu Yi had drafted Shangguan Yuqi's title this morning, A Qiu felt that she had somehow developed a connection with Shangguan Yuqi.
Before A Qiu could perform the proper bow, Shangguan Yuqi gently lifted her up with a flick of her sleeve and smiled, "Dian Le, there's no need to be so polite. Let's talk as we walk."
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards standing to the side looked at A Qiu with even more envy.
Judging from her attire, this newly appointed female official was of low rank and young and unfamiliar, yet she received the treatment of being accompanied by the eldest daughter of the most prestigious family in the Southern Dynasty, the head of the Flying Phoenix Guard, Miss Shangguan. She must be no ordinary person.
Although Miss Shangguan is not the arrogant type, she naturally possesses a noble and detached air. She appears serene and indifferent, like the mist and clouds in the mountains or the floating clouds in the sky. Ordinary people would naturally feel inferior and would not have any intention of getting close to her.
A Qiu was surprised and wondered why he had won the favor of the most beautiful woman in the Southern Dynasty.
Back when we were waiting in the back hall of the Jiying Hall, Shangguan Yuqi had paid a lot of attention to me. At that time, I was just a small dancer among a hundred or so people, but now, she could call out my job title at a glance. This was obviously not just ordinary attention.
Ah Qiu had no idea that walking with Shangguan Yuqi on the palace road had already attracted everyone's attention.
Palace maids, eunuchs, and even patrolling soldiers kept passing by, glancing at them with amazement and astonishment. Because of their status, they dared not look directly at them, only glancing out of the corner of their eyes, but their surprise was undeniable.
A Qiu had never experienced being stared at by so many passersby before. Assassins always kept a low profile, so she was quite unaccustomed to it.
Shangguan Yuqi, however, remained calm and unperturbed by everyone's gaze, walking alongside her without missing a beat, neither rushing ahead nor falling behind.
Finally, A Qiu couldn't help but ask, "Does Miss Shangguan always attract this much attention when she goes out?"
When asked by her, Shangguan Yuqi glanced at the dense gazes cast around her and smiled, "That's probably not the case. Servants are generally discreet and wouldn't so rashly look Liu Zhen in the eye."
Ah Qiu thought about it and realized it made sense. Even when she was in Lanling Hall, she always wore a veil to cover her face when she went out. Shangguan Yuqi was a noble lady from a high-ranking family. In her private residence, she would be subject to strict rules. When she went out, she would be cleared of the area and the road would be cleared. She would never allow ordinary people to take a second look at her.
Shangguan Yuqi added, "They didn't mean to offend us. They were probably so surprised that they couldn't help but look at us so presumptuously."
A Qiu touched her face, then looked at Shangguan Yuqi, and said blankly, "What's so surprising?"
Shangguan Yuqi turned her beautiful face toward her and smiled, "They are probably saying that a beauty comparable to Shangguan Yuqi has appeared in our dynasty, so they have to spread the news and make it a strange event."
A Qiu was ashamed, but he hadn't expected it to be for this reason.
Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "Don't think I'm just making wild guesses. After the palace banquet last night, some people were talking about it in private. This morning, I also heard His Majesty and Consort Chen mention you, and they said the same thing."
Therefore, one of the troubles of becoming the industry leader is that you will always be the benchmark in people's minds.
I wonder if Gu Yi, the "Number One Person in the Southern Dynasty," would have such troubles.
A Qiu realized she was thinking about Gu Yi again and quickly tried to distract herself. But her second thought was: when His Majesty and the Empress mentioned her, did Gu Yi react? Zhang E'xu said that Gu Yi had gone to the Eastern Palace early that morning to issue an edict to the Flying Phoenix Guards, so he must have already met the Emperor then. When Gu Yi heard her name, was he indifferent, or... did he react?
His own name could finally be uttered in broad daylight, from the Emperor's own mouth, reaching Gu Yi's ears. Did this mean he was one step closer to him?
As she was lost in thought, she heard Shangguan Yuqi ask again, "Is Dian Le worried about her beauty?"
Ah Qiu came to her senses, pondered for a moment, and laughed, "I've never known what value beauty has."
She was speaking the truth. Her beauty was unremarkable within Lanling Hall. Firstly, Lanling Hall was inherently a place overflowing with beautiful women; thanks to the master's discerning eye and refined taste in selecting disciples, none of the Lanling disciples were lacking in looks. Secondly, everyone was very busy.
If one were to leave Lanling Hall and go out, assassination attempts would typically require wearing a mask. Physical appearance would then be irrelevant.
Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "I often think the same way."
A Qiu suddenly felt a sense of kinship. As the most beautiful woman in the Southern Dynasty, Shangguan Yuqi probably wouldn't feel any advantage from it. She had also heard of Shangguan Yuqi's exploits, but those were the exploits of the most outstanding swordsman of this generation from a powerful aristocratic family.
Shangguan Yuqi is the nineteenth patriarch of the Shangguan family. From a young age, he entered the family's forbidden area to learn martial arts and swordsmanship, rarely interacting with other aristocratic families. By the age of fifteen, his swordsmanship had reached its peak, allowing him to fly back on his sword and injure people invisibly with his sword energy.
Martial arts practitioners all share the same loneliness.
A woman adorns herself for the one who pleases her, but if there is no one in the world who can please her, then even the most beautiful face is just an image in a mirror, an illusion in the eyes of others.
Shangguan Yuqi added, "However, the Junior Tutor has also offered his opinion, which is quite rare. He said that the two of us can be called the Twin Beauties of the Southern Dynasty, two bright pearls on the highest crown of the dynasty's ritual and music culture. His Majesty also agreed with this."
Last night, Shangguan Yuqi's Qiankun Dingshi Sword Dance and A Qiu's selfless act of shielding the tiger will be recorded in the history books of this dynasty as symbols of loyalty between ruler and subject, and will be passed down forever.
Upon hearing this, A Qiu was shocked. She had never imagined that Gu Yi, in public and unconcerned about the opinions of others, would speak so highly of her.
Shangguan Yuqi was not displeased at being compared to a dancer.
Such a carefree and unrestrained spirit is extremely rare, even among men.
A rare hint of sadness finally appeared on Shangguan Yuqi's usually indifferent and icy face.
"The last woman to receive this honor has long since passed away. Therefore, I often feel that so-called empty fame and reputation are like a prison cage. Those who are burdened by fame lose freedom and peace of mind."
It seemed to be a deep sigh coming from the depths of her heart.
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